Meditate for a Healthy Lifestyle

Meditate and see you healthy lifestyle quotient rise!

How do I know I am living a healthy lifestyle? How high is my healthy lifestyle quotient? How can I improve it? Isn’t this something that we all wonder about at some point in life? The way you live your life determines your lifestyle.

There is something that can definitely help you improve your healthy lifestyle quotient. It’s meditation, as a lot of people share. So let’s have a look at some of the aspects of a healthy lifestyle and how meditation can help you in these areas

#1 Healthy Food

Somethings to ponder upon: How often does my meal have some healthy items? Do I normally eat more/less than my body requires?

Well, food is a very important source of energy; so eating the right amount and the right type of food at the right time can go a long way in determining your health. Most often just to pamper our taste buds; we end up eating food which might not always be so healthy. Many people have shared that with regular practice of meditation, eating healthy food more often has become easy for them.

Shares Meghana,”With regular practice of meditation, my body has naturally started demanding healthy food so I see myself having healthier food more often now than before.“

“I used to eat a lot of Non-Vegetarian food in-spite of knowing its ill effects. But with 1 year of regular practice of meditation and breathing techniques, gradually my craving for non-vegetarian has completely dropped,” shares Nikesh.

#2 Quality and quantity of our sleep

Somethings to ponder upon: Do I sometimes feel tired when I wake up in the morning even after a long sleep? How many hours do I normally sleep in a day?

What is the first thought that comes to you when you are very tired? ‘I wish I could take a short nap,’ isn’t it? Well, along with a sufficient amount of sleep (7-8 hours/ day), the quality of sleep (how deep your sleep is) is also an important factor that contributes to your overall health.

Meditation enhances the quality of your sleep. How? One of the major reasons for improper sleep is stress. Stress Hormones reduce when you meditate regularly. As a result there is a calming effect on the mind and the sleep is deeper and more restful.

#3 Keep Active

Somethings to ponder upon: How often do I feel physically and mentally tired? How often do I naturally keep active and happy during the day?

Aren’t there just so many things to do in a day? And we also obviously want to do everything to the best of our ability. Some days we are naturally very active and some days we tend to get lazy. Many who meditate regularly share that meditation naturally keeps them more active and happy during the day. Even when they feel tried, low or bogged down, just a few minutes of meditation charges them up again.

“I have been meditating for 4 years, and sometimes even I surprise myself with the amount of work I can do in a day. Often my colleagues ask me how do I stay do active during the day and I just share with them my secret which is meditation,” shares Kamana Nath.

#4 enough time to Unwind yourself

Something to ponder upon : How much time each day do I spend in doing things that I really like to do and that relax me?

Have you noticed that your productivity increases when you give your mind and body a chance to relax? But most often we complain that we have no time, there is just so much to do, isn’t it? Well one of the best ways of unwinding yourself is meditation. Just sitting with your eyes closed for 20 minutes can make your mind calm and peaceful.

Along with meditation, there could also be some other ways of unwinding yourself; a hobby or anything that relaxes you – say reading a book or playing with your neighbour’s dog. Now the good news is that meditation makes you more efficient in your work so you are able to do things faster than usual leaving enough time for leisure.

“If I only keep working, then I know I will get exhausted and bored very soon. But when I alternate it with meditation, the monotony breaks and I start enjoying my work whenever I get back to it,” shares Francisco.

#5 Joy at work

Something to ponder upon : Every morning, do I really look forward to the day at work or do I think, ‘Oh God, another day at work?

Think about it, when do you most enjoy doing your work? One time obviously might be, if it is an area of your interest. But isn’t it also when you are able to give your best to it. Because when you doat, you feel satisfied, and that satisfaction makes you happy.

#6 Good social health

Somethings to ponder upon : How many friends do I have? What kind of relationship do I share with them? Do the number of friends I have keep increasing or is it the other way round?

Have you heard the line ‘Man is a social animal’? Well, our social health is also an important component of our health. It is based on how we get along with people. Isn’t it nice to have people around with whom we can share our joys and sorrows with?. You can fall back on your social circle, especially in times of need.

So how can we have a good social circle? – Socializing and being friendly is our nature. But we can always enhance this quality. Meditation makes us sensitive towards others, it develops a quality of acceptance in us; it improves communication and expression. With all these qualities we are better able to bond with others and start sharing healthy relationships.

#7 Less Illness

Something to ponder upon : How often do you fall sick?

At one level regular meditation improves immunity so the chances of getting sick reduce. At another level, even if you get sick, meditation fastens the process of healing.

Meditation Tips

All of us want to naturally keep healthy, right? Keep pondering upon the few things mentioned above. This will help you observe the positive changes that you will experience with meditation.

Meditating at-least once a day is advisable. You could either get started with meditation on your own or you could learn meditation from an expert. An expert will guide you to have a deeper experience in meditation.

You could make a meditation buddy with who you can meditate together. Meditation buddies help you keep up with the practice.

Inspired by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's wisdom talks

By Divya Sachdev

Based on inputs by Bharathy Harish, Sahaj Samadhi Meditation Expert

Founded in 1981 by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,The Art of Living is an educational and humanitarian movement engaged in stress-management and service initiatives.
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